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12019-09-03T18:07:48-07:00Lauren Cesirof37e4e52c3d9a4ff08b7937020ee9048f11c6739346705Label & Mediaplain2019-09-04T11:09:35-07:00Lauren Cesirof37e4e52c3d9a4ff08b7937020ee9048f11c6739 Aaron Douglas and Alta Mae Sawyer had been married ten years when she sat for this portrait in 1936. By this time, Douglas was well-established as the leading visual artist of the Harlem Renaissance, while Alta herself was an admired educator and, with her husband, very much part of the elite Black intellectual and social circles that congregated at their prestigious Edgecombe Avenue address in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Upper Manhattan. Her portrait depicts her half-length and seated, most likely in this home they shared.
Although he frequently worked in a modern style, Douglas’s portraiture—like this example—tends to be more traditional and naturalistic. Nevertheless, we might note how the cool greens of the staid landscape painting hanging behind Alta contrast with the vivid red color and vibrant floral pattern of her blouse, testifying to the vitality of the woman Douglas would honor, after her death, as “the most dynamic force in my life, my inspiration, my encouragement.”
12019-08-27T10:36:56-07:00Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) Alta, 19368This image is featured in the exhibition, “not but nothing other: African American Portrayals, 1930s to Today.“ Hover over the highlighted rectangles for more information and links to related content.plain2019-09-27T14:20:07-07:00
